Morning Digest | All set for Revanth Reddy to take oath as Telangana Chief Minister; Government needs latitude to make peace, says CJI during Citizenship Act hearing, and more

Here is a select list of stories to start the day

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud. | Photo Credit: PTI

Science clear on need to ‘phase out’ fossil fuels: U.S. climate envoy John Kerry

“The science was clear on the need to phase out some fossil fuel,” the U.S. lead climate negotiator, John Kerry, said at a press conference on December 6. “Else we are not going to be able to make the goal of being net zero by 2050 or have a shot at keeping temperatures below 1.5°C.”

All set for Revanth Reddy to take oath as Telangana Chief Minister

The stage is set for the swearing-in of Anumula Revanth Reddy as the next Chief Minister of Telangana on Thursday, amid a sea of humanity. Mr. Reddy will take oath at 1:04 p.m. instead of 10:28 a.m. fixed earlier at the Lal Bahadur Stadium. Elaborate arrangements are in place for the grand spectacle to be attended by the who’s who of the Congress party.

Have DMK leaders abandoned the Hindu religion, asks SP leader

A senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader on December 6 slammed recent derogatory statements made by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders, asking whether they had abandoned the Hindu religion. Both parties are partners in the Opposition INDIA bloc.

Tribal forum denies allegations of Supreme Court-appointed committee on Manipur

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on December 7 refuted all allegations levelled against it by the Supreme Court-appointed committee in a letter addressed to the Chairperson, Justice Gita Mittal (retd.), insisting that it has neither been pressuring families to refuse compensation nor has it asked any family to refuse accepting the bodies of their loved ones.  

Jamaat-e-Islami urges political parties to introspect after poll results in four States

Following the results of the four State Assembly elections, the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has expressed concern over the direction in which national politics is moving with the Lok Sabha election set to be held next year. Steering clear of binaries, the Jamaat asked political parties to introspect on how the Hindi heartland has come in the grip of communal elements.

Parliamentary proceedings | Char Dham project did not need environment assessment: Centre to Parliament

The Char Dham project in Uttarakhand, under which Silkyara tunnel, is being developed did not require an Environment Impact Assessment, the Union government told Parliament on December 6.

India reminds Myanmar to return to ‘federal democracy’

As conflict intensifies between armed resistance groups and the Myanmar military in Chin, Shan and Sagaing provinces, India on Wednesday reminded Myanmar to return to the path of federal democracy. The message was delivered by Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra who held a Foreign Office Consultation with a Myanmarese delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Myanmar U Lwin Oo.

Date for next summit of INDIA parties will be out soon: Kharge

Parliamentary floor leaders of 17 parties met at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence for a dinner meeting to discuss the strategy for the Winter Session of Parliament. There were no representatives from Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Bal Thackeray). It was decided at the meeting that the next summit of the INDIA parties will be held soon in the third week of December after consulting with the other party chiefs.

Move away from colonial mindset, encourage use of Bharatiya languages, NCERT says

On being asked if the Centre has received any recommendation from a panel of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to use the word ‘Bharat’ in place of ‘India’ in textbooks, the Ministry of Education in its reply in the Parliament stated that India’s Constitution recognises both India and Bharat as the official names of the country which can be used interchangeably. 

Citizenship Act hearing | Government needs latitude to make peace, says CJI

Noting that the government should be given leeway if a ‘compromise’ is necessary to save the nation, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said the Assam Accord of 1985 and the new citizenship regime which followed in its wake might have been an “adjustment” reached by the Rajiv Gandhi government to calm the waves of violent anti-immigrant protests that rolled over the northeastern State for years and threatened national peace.

Indian-origin media executive Samir Shah to head BBC Board

A British-Indian has been picked by the U.K. Government to head the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as its next chair. Samir Shah, a 71-year-old former BBC non-executive director and media executive, was born in Aurangabad and moved to the U.K. in 1960. He will head the public broadcaster as it faces questions over its independence and financial challenges with the renewal of its charter.

Italy withdraws from China’s Belt and Road project

Italy has withdrawn from China's vast Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, more than four years after becoming the only G7 nation to sign up, a government source said on December 6. The long-expected decision was communicated to Beijing three days ago, according to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, which first broke the news.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Saudi Arabia and UAE as Ukraine war grinds on

Russian President Vladimir Putin began a trip on Wednesday to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, hoping to shore up support in the Mideast from two major oil producers allied to the U.S. as his war on Ukraine grinds on.